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Ram Gopal Varma sparks outrage on Teachers’ Day for calling Dawood Ibrahim his inspiration. Netizens slam filmmaker for glorifying a gangster over true gurus.
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma stirred massive outrage on Teachers’ Day after naming Dawood Ibrahim among his inspirations alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi.
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is once again at the centre of controversy, not for his films but for his words. On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, September 5, the director took to social media to list out names of people who have shaped his creative journey. While his post began by saluting icons such as Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee, and Sridevi, what left netizens furious was his inclusion of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in the same breath.
RGV’s Teachers’ Day Post
Sharing a note on X (formerly Twitter), Varma wrote, “Here’s a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from AMITABH BACHCHAN, STEVEN SPIELBERG, AYN RAND, BRUCE LEE, SRIDEVI and DAWOOD IBRAHIM. HAPPY TEACHERS DAY.”
Here’s a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from AMITABH BACHCHAN, STEVEN SPIELBERG , AYN RAND ,BRUCE LEE, SRIDEVI and DAWOOD IBRAHIM 🙏🙏🙏 HAPPY TEACERS DAY 💐💐💐— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) September 5, 2025
The mention of Dawood Ibrahim — a wanted terrorist and India’s most infamous gangster — instantly drew sharp reactions from netizens who called out the filmmaker for glorifying a criminal on a day meant to honour real gurus.
Social Media Backlash
The post snowballed into a social media storm with users slamming RGV’s choice of words. One user commented, “Dawood’s teacher should also be really proud, because a teacher not only teaches how to be at the top of the world, but sometimes also how to be in the underworld.”
Another user questioned him bluntly: “What did you learn from Dawood Ibrahim?”
Some responses were more sarcastic: “Add Osama bin Laden too,” one user wrote, while another accused Varma of making a mockery of the day, saying: “You’re joking about inspiration while calling Dawood your teacher.”
RGV’s Connection With Dawood’s Story
This isn’t the first time Varma has linked his work to Dawood Ibrahim. In 2021, the filmmaker directed D Company, a film inspired by the rise of Mumbai’s underworld empire led by Dawood. Earlier, in an interview with SpotboyE, he had admitted, “I owe my living to Dawood Ibrahim. I built my career on gangster films because I have always been fascinated by the darker side of human nature.”
He further revealed that his critically acclaimed 2002 film Company drew from the fallout between Dawood and his former aide Chhota Rajan, and that many of his insights came from “straight insiders” of the underworld.
The Larger Debate
While Ram Gopal Varma is known for his unfiltered takes and fascination with gangsters, his latest statement has once again ignited a debate about the fine line between artistic inspiration and glorification of criminals. For now, RGV has neither clarified nor retracted his Teachers’ Day message, leaving social media abuzz with criticism.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
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September 05, 2025, 20:05 IST
